Composite porch post/deck post with fastener mounting

ABSTRACT

A resilient post for use on a porch or a deck having a floor and/or a roof deck is described. The post includes a plastic outer shell and a stiffening member that extends within the shell. At least one mounting member secures the stiffening member to the floor or roof of the porch or deck. The mounting member extends outside the shell and has at least one inner fastener hole for securing the stiffening member-to the mounting member. The mounting member also has at least one outer fastener hole for securing said mounting member to the floor or roof.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present non-provisional patent application claims priority ofU.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/336,817, filed on Dec. 5,2001 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates generally to posts, and moreparticularly, to a resilient deck post or porch post with fastenermounting for secure attachment to a structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Outdoor decks and porches are extremely popular in residentialhome construction. Homes and apartments, as well as a variety of otherbuildings, often incorporate exterior decks and porches into theirdesign. Additionally, decks are commonly added onto existing structuresand landscapes. These provide convenient spaces for a variety of outdooractivities, including cookouts, dining and sunbathing, as well as otherleisure activities. Moreover, decks and porches typically include arailing or perimeter fence to keep people from falling over the edge ofthe deck. A number of posts usually either anchor the railing and/orsupport a roof structure.

[0004] Wood products traditionally have been the primary source ofmaterials for use in such construction. However, wood products arebecoming increasingly scarce due to the harvesting of trees atever-faster rates and the rather limited rate at which timber resourcescan be replenished. Also, environmental concerns and regulationsdirected to conservation or preservation of forests tend to restrict theavailability of wood products. With the diminishing availability oftimber resources, wood products are becoming increasingly expensive.There is, therefore, a substantial need for long-lasting substituteconstruction materials that can reduce harvesting of timber. Onepotential approach to addressing the above need is to provide substituteporch and decking products made of plastic, rather than wood. However,because deck and porch products must be capable of sustaining certainloads, replacement products need to be stable and rigid. The materialshould also be capable of economical manufacture and be relativelyinexpensive. It also needs to be easily installed and used in the field.

[0005] A variety of plastic building products are known. For example,U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,603 describes a three-layer synthetic constructionmaterial made from recycled waste thermoplastic synthetic resin materialand cellulose fiber aggregate. This material includes face surfacesconsisting essentially of re-hardened fused and rolled thermoplasticsynthetic resin material bits, and an intervening core materialconsisting essentially of a compressed non-homogenous mixture ofcellulose aggregate material bits and re-hardened fused thermoplasticsynthetic resin material bits. U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,245 describes anapparatus for producing a light structural board of thermoplastic resin.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,642 of Erwin describes a reinforced compositedeck post for use with a wood joist of a wood deck. The post includes anelongate, hollow, extruded plastic shell and an elongate metalstiffening member positioned within the plastic shell and secured to theshell. Upper and lower shims means are positioned within the plasticshell adjacent to the metal stiffening means. The shims secure the metalstiffening member to the plastic shell.

[0007] Another known post has an all-metal construction including asquare metal tubing and a metal mounting foot. The metal mounting footis secured to a structure with screws or nails and includes upstandingtabs positioned to just fit within the interior of the metal tubing. Themetal tubing post is slipped over the tabs to secure the post againstlateral movement. However, the post is not secured against verticalmovement relative to the tabs.

[0008] According, it can be seen that a need yet exists for a post whichcan be securely and easily mounted to a structure and which acts as agood substitute for wood posts. It is to the provision of such a postthat the present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention meets the needs described in a resilientdeck post or porch post with fastener mounting that securely mounts thepost to a structure.

[0010] In one form, the invention is a post for use on a porch or a deckhaving a floor and/or a ceiling. The post includes a plastic outer shelland a stiffening member that extends within the shell. At least onemounting member secures the stiffening member to the floor or ceiling ofthe porch or deck. The mounting member extends outside the shell and hasat least one inner fastener hole for securing the stiffening member tothe mounting member. The mounting member also has at least one outerfastener hole for securing said mounting member to the floor or ceiling.

[0011] In another form, the invention is a post for use with and/or aceiling. The post includes an outer shell, and a metal extrusion extendswithin the shell. At least one mounting member secures the metalextrusion to the floor or the ceiling. The mounting member extendsoutside the shell and has at least one inner fastener hole for securingthe metal extrusion to the mounting member. The outer fastener holereceives a fastener that secures the mounting member to the floor orceiling. Shims securely position the metal extrusion centrally withinthe large end.

[0012] In another form, the invention is a ruggedized railing for usewith a deck or porch. Several posts connect the railing to the deck orporch. A plurality of rails are connected between adjacent posts. Eachof the posts includes a plastic outer shell. A stiffening member extendswithin the shell. At least one mounting member secures the stiffeningmember to the floor or ceiling of the porch or deck. The mounting memberextends outside the shell and has at least one inner fastener hole forreceiving a fastener for securing the stiffening member to the mountingmember. At least one outer fastener hole receives a fastener to securethe mounting member to the floor or ceiling.

[0013] The invention utilizes fasteners to effectively secure the postto a structure, such as a floor or a ceiling for a deck or porch.Because the post is fastened to the floor and/or ceiling of the deck orporch, the entire structure is considerably more secure. Consequently,the structure can withstand greater stresses that are particularlyevident during inclement weather. Besides the increased rigidity, theinvention fastens the post to a mounting member, which makes the postmodular. Thus, a user can easily assemble the post before connecting itto the deck or porch. Therefore, the invention can produce a ruggedizedrailing for either a porch or a deck that is easily assembled andexhibits increased structural strength.

[0014] In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a postassembly, according to the present invention, avoids the drawbacks ofprior systems. The specific techniques and structures employed by theinvention to improve over the drawbacks of the prior systems andaccomplish the advantages described herein will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following detailed description of theembodiments of the invention and the appended drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a front view of a railing with a post fastened to afloor and a ceiling according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0016]FIG. 2 is an enlarged partially cut-away perspective view of aportion of the post of FIG. 1.

[0017]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a bottom portion of thepost of FIG. 1.

[0018]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the post andfloor of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0019] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, specificterminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The invention, however,is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected.

[0020]FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a railing 100 with a post 110.The railing 100 can connect to a ceiling 120 and/or to a floor (notshown). The railing 100 can include several posts, such as 110, ahandrail 130, a lower rail 133, as well as spindles 135 that extendbetween these rails. The post 110 typically includes large ends 113 andnarrow, or reduced dimension, intermediate sections 115. Typically thelarge ends 113 are rectangular in cross-section, while the intermediatesections are round in cross-section. In this way, the composite post 110has the appearance of a traditional turned wooden post. The large endsassist when connecting the post 110 to the ceiling or floor, handrail130, or lower rail 133. A mounting member or mounting foot 117vertically connects the post 110 to the roof 120 or floor (not shown).This mounting member is described in greater detail with reference toFIGS. 3-4.

[0021]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the post110. This post includes an outer shell 210 that is generally hollow.When configured as a deck post, the shell 210 could have a length ofapproximately 43 inches and a wall thickness of 0.150 inches. Whenconfigured as a porch post, the post (and shell) typically would belonger so as to extend from floor to ceiling. Typically, this lengthwould be 8 feet (or more). In addition, this outer shell could becomposed of a plastic, polyvinylchloride, or some other suitableweatherable material. The components in the post 110 can be made from asingle plastic material, varying plastic materials, plastic or wood,plastic and metal, or a combination of plastic, wood and metal.

[0022] An upright stiffening member 220, preferably in the form of ametal extrusion, extends within the shell 210 and serves as areinforcing element. Preferably, the stiffening member 220 can becomposed of a metal aluminum or some other suitable material. Thestiffening member 220 has a generally rectangular cross-section withrecesses or fastener holes 225 positioned in the corners to receivefasteners. Though not shown, the shape of the fasteners holes 225 canvary depending on the types of fasteners used. Generally, the fastenerholes 225 are not pre-threaded. Instead, they can be threaded during useby receiving self-tapping screws. Like the shell 210, the stiffeningmember 220 is generally hollow with a wall thickness of approximately0.075 inches and an area of approximately 0.707 inches.

[0023] The post 110 also includes a wedge, or shim, 230 positionedbetween the shell 210 and the stiffening member 220 within the largeends 113. This shim positions the stiffening member 220 in the center ofthe large ends 113. In this manner, the stiffening member 220 can fitsecurely in both the large ends 113 and the small ends 115. The shim 230could be composed of one or more of several materials, such as wood,plastic, polyurethane foam, stone, or metal. The shim 230 secures thestiffening member 220 against lateral movement within the shell 210. Tofurther limit movement of the stiffening member 220, a fastener cansecure the stiffening member 220 to the shim 230. An opening 240 withinthe large end 113 can receive the handrail 130. The shim can alsoreceive fasteners or recesses therein for securing the rails to thepost.

[0024]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a bottom portion of thepost 110 that illustrates the mounting member 117. The mounting member117 includes inner fastener holes 310 and outer fastener holes 315 thatreceive fasteners 320. Fasteners received through these inner fastenerholes 310 secure the mounting member 117 to the bottom of the stiffeningmember 220. Though four inner fastener holes 310 are shown, the numberof holes and the arrangement of these holes may vary. Similarly, outerfasteners can secure the post 110 to a floor using the outer fastenerholes 315. The fasteners 320 could be a pin, bolt, screw, rivet, nail orsome other suitable fastener. For example, the fasteners 320 could beself-starting screws. A single mounting plate can be used (for the topof the bottom of the post) or two mounting plates can be used (one atthe top and one at the bottom). Further, while thread fasteners arepreferred for securing the mounting plate to the stiffening member, inmany instances nails will be preferred for securing the mounting plateto a floor or ceiling.

[0025]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the post 110mounted a floor 400. The fastener 422 secures the mounting member 117 tothe metal extrusion 220. In contrast, the fastener 424 secures themounting member 117 to the floor 400. Consequently, making the fastener424 larger can assure a more rigid connection to the floor 400. Becausethe mounting member 300 can be connected to the metal extrusion 220using the fastener 422, the post 110 is modular. That is, the post 110can be fully assembled and trimmed for length before it is connected toeither a ceiling or a floor. Hence, workers can quickly and effectivelysecure the post to a floor and/or a ceiling using only a few fastenersand outer fastener holes 315.

[0026] In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that presentinvention provides a resilient post that securely fastens to astructure. While the invention has been disclosed in preferred forms forillustration purposes, those skilled in the art will readily recognizethat many modifications, additions, and deletions can be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

1. A post for use on a porch or a deck having a floor and/or a ceilingcomprising: a plastic outer shell; a stiffening member extending withinsaid shell; and at least one mounting member for securing saidstiffening member to the floor or ceiling of the porch or deck, saidmounting member extending outside said shell and having at least oneinner fastener hole for receiving a fastener for securing saidstiffening member to said mounting member and at least one outerfastener hole for receiving a fastener for securing said mounting memberto said floor or ceiling.
 2. A post as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidat least one mounting member comprises two mounting members, onemounting member for securing said stiffening member to the floor and onemounting member for securing said stiffening member to the ceiling.
 3. Apost as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stiffening member comprises alength of metal tubing.
 4. A post as claimed in claim 3 wherein saidmetal extrusion stiffening member defines a plurality of recesses forreceiving a threaded fastener therein.
 5. A post as claimed in claim 4wherein said stiffening member is generally rectangular in cross-sectionwith the plurality of recesses formed adjacent corners thereof.
 6. Apost as claimed in claim 1 wherein said post has relatively large endsand a reduced-dimension intermediate section there-between, said postfurther including shims positioned within said large ends to securelyposition said stiffening member centrally within said large ends.
 7. Apost as claimed in claim 6 wherein said shims are wooden.
 8. A post asclaimed in claim 6 wherein said shims are foam.
 9. A post as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said mounting member has four inner fastener holes andfour outer fastener holes.
 10. A post as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidstiffening member comprises an aluminum extrusion.
 11. A resilient postfor use with a floor and/or a ceiling comprising: an outer shell havingrelatively large ends and a reduced-dimension intermediate section; ametal extrusion extending longitudinally within said shell; and at leastone mounting member for securing said metal extrusion stiffening memberto the floor or the ceiling, said mounting member extending outside saidshell and having at least one inner fastener hole for securing saidmetal extrusion to said mounting member and at least one outer fastenerhole for receiving a fastener for securing said mounting member to saidfloor or ceiling; and at least one shim for securely positioning saidmetal extrusion centrally within said large end.
 12. A post as claimedin claim 11 wherein said at least one mounting member comprises twomounting members, one mounting member for securing said stiffeningmember to the floor and one mounting member for securing said stiffeningmember to the ceiling.
 13. A post as claimed in claim 11 wherein said atleast one shim wooden.
 14. A post as claimed in claim 11 wherein saidmetal extrusion comprises a generally rectangular aluminum extrusionwith the screw receiving recesses formed in corners thereof.
 15. Amodular railing for use with a deck or porch comprising: at least onepost for mounting to the deck or porch; a plurality of rails extendingfrom said at least one post; wherein said post comprises: a plasticouter shell; a stiffening member extending within said shell; at leastone mounting foot for securing said stiffening member to the floor ofthe porch or deck, said mounting member extending laterally outside saidshell and having at least one inner fastener hole receiving a fastenerthere-through for securing said stiffening member to said mounting footand at least one outer fastener hole receiving another fastenerthere-through for securing said mounting foot to the floor.
 16. Amodular railing as claimed in claim 14 wherein said stiffening member isan aluminum extrusion having a plurality of recesses formed therein forreceiving a threaded fastener therein.
 17. A modular railing as claimedin claim 14 wherein said post has large ends and a reduced-dimensionintermediate section there-between, said post further including a shimpositioned within at least one of said large ends to securely positionsaid stiffening member centrally therein.